Book Review: A Crown for a Lady

“Richly sensual.” —Nationally Bestselling Author Stella Cameron

A deception of royal proportions thrusts Ian MacEwen into the very center of the ton’s marriage mart, forcing him to choose a bride who would be queen. All he wanted was to uncover the answers denied him from birth. Instead, he found saucy Claire Wentworth, a fearless woman with grass-green eyes who needs his protection—and his love—whether she knows it or not.

Fallen from grace, danger stalks Claire Wentworth at every turn. She needs a champion, but what she gets instead is a royal mystery. The man all of London hails as “Prince” instead strikes her as a rogue adventurer—whom no doubt rouses her slumbering heart to wide-awake desire.
Please Note: This title was previously published as The Impostor Prince. It has been revised and retitled with the author’s original, preferred title.

Ku book Review:

This is the second book in the Prince and the Imposter series. Here we see the second of twins learn about his true heritage and find his true love. There is much intrigue in this story including the whereabouts of the heroine’s brother, to have the reader wanting to keep reading. Highly recommend.

Tuesday is Book Challenge Day ! So check off Crown , Girl, on my list…. Lisa

Book Review: Five Winters: A Novel

A bighearted novel about motherhood, friendship, moving on, and love of all kinds.

Ever since Beth Bailey was a girl, she’s been in love with her best friend’s older brother, Mark. She’s continued to hold out hope that maybe, someday, he’ll love her back. But now Beth is thirty-five years old, and on the day of Mark’s wedding to another woman, she finally accepts the wake-up call she needs to move on.

Beth’s dream of marrying her first love may be over, but her other biggest desire is still within reach: becoming a mother. Having lost her own parents very young, there’s nothing Beth wants more in life, and nothing she’ll stop at to make her wish come true.

Over the course of five years, and with unexpected twists along the way, Beth will come to startling realisations about family, friendship, the meaning of love, and most importantly, herself on the winding path to happiness and, she hopes, to motherhood.

Book Review:

The story takes us on a journey through 5 winters of Beth’s life. Beth was a really well fleshed out character and you really felt like you were on the journey alongside her, for all the ‘don’t do that’ moments as well as the ones where you just wanted to give her a hug.

All the characters were so well written and interesting (even Jaimie and his naturist ways . It made for a compelling and addictive read. The plot and writing style were lovely and it had me devouring the whole book in no time at all. An exciting Winter Reads.

January Book Challenge : Winter Romance

2022 December Book Challenge

If You Ask Me: (And of Course You Won’t)

The New York Times bestseller from the beloved actress and Hollywood icon who’s made us laugh on shows from The Mary Tyler Moore Show to Golden Girls to Saturday Night Live!

In this candid take on everything from the unglamorous reality behind red-carpet affairs to her beauty regimen (“I have no idea what color my hair is, and I never intend to find out”), Betty White shares her observations about life, celebrity, and love (for humans and animals). Filled with photos, If You Ask Me is funny, sweet, and straight to the point—just like Betty.

Memoir Book from the Library :

Loved this book and could NOT put it down. Finished it in one reading and that would be my only remark, that it was not nearly long enough… but it was brilliant. Like Betty’s other books this one was like having a one-on-one sit down chat with Betty herself. Her takes on everything were heartfelt, hysterical and full of love, like the lady herself. It made me miss her even more, but what a remarkable, long and wonderful life she led. This book is like an extra gift from her. I love you Betty..

Advent Calendar Challenge :

Dec 1 : Mine is so long it might be next Christmas I finish or maybe July.!

Christmas Read a Long : 12/12 to 12/18

The readalong will take place from the 12th – 18th December and each day there will be a photo prompt or book club question to answer. The prompts are attached below!

Sunday 11/27 Updates

Happy Sunday and it’s the last Sunday of November. This last week has been a combination of Birthday, Thanksgiving and politics. Only in Louisiana that happens. On to some updates :

Spotlight on Book series, KU Book Reviews ,Library Loans and Throwback Thursday.

My Lisa Book Club : Christmas Cookie Exchange : Books and recipes every Saturday at the Melville Library.

2022 November Book Challenge :

My Book Review Favorites of this month:

Latest Post on the Blog:

• Her Secret Valentine (The Brides of Holly Springs Book 5)
• Book Review: Escaping Valentine’s Day
• COVER REVEAL : Stay Together
• COVER REVEAL – Until Maisie by Cheri Marie & LB Russell
• RELEASE BOOST – Ace by Brooke Summers

I am linking too these blogs:

Salonhttps://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/p/join-us-for-sunday-salon.html, Sunday posthttps://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2021/12/sunday-post-502-snow.html , and Stacking Shelves https://www.readingreality.net/2021/12/stacking-the-shelves-474/

Book Blogger Hop

I usually read in medium size, but love when I use my kindle i can change the font size . But also the type and Back color. Lisa

Book Review: The Duke Alone

For an abandoned lady and a reclusive duke, the winter season brings a swirl of romance—and danger—in a bracing novel by USA Today bestselling author Christi Caldwell.

Lady Myrtle McQuoid has always felt a little forgotten, and this season is no exception. When her boisterous family vacates their London townhouse for the country, Myrtle finds she’s been left behind. But she just needs to stay warm, keep her belly full, and distract herself until her relatives realize their mistake and turn back to collect her. Surely that won’t take long.

Brooding widower Val Bancroft, the Duke of Aragon, has shut himself off from the world. He craves blessed solitude—a loyal dog, a silent house, and his own company are all he requires. Certainly not the nonstop chattering of the joyful, opinionated young woman next door.

But with a potential threat lurking in the winter shadows, Myrtle may need to pluck up the nerve to approach the reclusive duke. And Val is not one to turn his back on a vulnerable lady.

Amid the silent nights of London, beneath a blanket of snow, could the light of a new, warm love be kindling?

KU Historical Romance:

A story that could be likened for Beauty and the Beast (and some villainous scenes from the movie Home Alone). On!y the Beast was an embittered Duke whose love for his dead wife made him morose and cynical; and a Lady inadvertently left by her family- Home Alone.
In all seriousness this was a story of learning to love again after a deep and heart wrenching loss. A loss that occurred at Christmastide. This made me cry buckets; a pure romantic story that is rated PG, well-written without the steamy sex to keep the reader engaged.

2022 November Book Challenge

“Will the tiger be menacing; will the ocean be threatening; will the island be something out of Frankenstein or will it be an Eden?”—Yann Martel

Life of Pi, first published in 2002, became an international bestseller and remains one of the most extraordinary and popular works of contemporary fiction.

In 2005 an international competition was held to find the perfect artist to illustrate Yann Martel’s Man Booker Prize–winning novel. From thousands of entrants, Croatian artist Tomislav Torjanac was chosen. This lavishly produced edition features forty of Torjanac’s beautiful four-color illustrations, bringing Life of Pi to splendid, eye-popping life.

Tomislav Torjanac says of his illustrations: “My vision of the illustrated edition of Life of Pi is based on paintings from a first person’s perspective—Pi’s perspective. The interpretation of what Pi sees is intermeshed with what he feels and it is shown through [the] use of colors, perspective, symbols, hand gestures, etc.

Library Loan pick:

The book starts with an “authors note” which places the mood and source of the story. Plenty of seeds are sown here and the spiritual setting is created. Throughout the book we hear more from the author as he gets to find out Pi’s story.
Scene setting dominates the first third of the book and Pi is established, then the boat sinks and the story simply starts to fly.
I savoured this book, the writing is beautiful and seems to demand that you read it slowly, taking in every word. Pi had an endless amount of time at sea and wants the reader to understand that the progress of time means nothing compared to the compulsion to survive.
Even having seen the film and having fairly high expectations, I was blown away by the relationship between boy and tiger with its simplicity and complexity on many different levels.
We know that Pi survives from the beginning of the book which gives a calm to our experience of his journey and I somehow wanted his progression (physically and spiritually) to continue forever.
The book is full of wonderful quotes but one of my favorite’s is ” Fiction is the selective transforming of reality” – somehow seems to sum up this book wonderfully.

November Book Challenge

Today’s Book is part of Reese Witherspoon Book Club. Need a Pick : https://www.amazon.com/s?k=reese+witherspoon+book+club+picks+2022&crid=1M42XH94YKP5Z&sprefix=reese%2Caps%2C429&ref=

“A charming, hilarious, feel-good story about the kind of bonds & rivalries only sisters can share. Also, a great present for your sister for the holidays!!”–Reese Witherspoon

Three generations. Two chicken shacks. One recipe for disaster.

In tiny Merinac, Kansas, Chicken Mimi’s and Chicken Frannie’s have spent a century vying to serve up the best fried chicken in the state–and the legendary feud between their respective owners, the Moores and the Pogociellos, has lasted just as long. No one feels the impact more than thirty-five-year-old widow Amanda Moore, who grew up working for her mom at Mimi’s before scandalously marrying Frank Pogociello and changing sides to work at Frannie’s. Tired of being caught in the middle, Amanda sends an SOS to Food Wars, the reality TV restaurant competition that promises $100,000 to the winner. But in doing so, she launches both families out of the frying pan and directly into the fire. . .

The last thing Brooklyn-based organizational guru Mae Moore, Amanda’s sister, wants is to go home to Kansas. But when her career implodes, helping the fading Mimi’s look good on Food Wars becomes Mae’s best chance to reclaim the limelight–even if doing so pits her against Amanda and Frannie’s. Yet when family secrets become public knowledge, the sisters must choose: Will they fight with each other, or for their heritage?

My Book Review;

I picked this book up from the Library because I actually know two sisters who have fried chicken restraints across town from each other. Everyone has there favorite place to eat depending on your test.

They have two words that captures this read personal growth.
Found it entertaining, funny, and my mouth gaped open a few times. Do yourself a favor and read this for the pure enjoyment of it.

November Reading Challenge 2022

My Non Fiction Read : I Choose Myself

Deepti Vempati is many things: breakout star of Netflix’s hit reality dating show, Love Is Blind, Indian immigrant, data analyst, daughter, sister, and a symbol of women’s empowerment.

Deepti captured the hearts of audiences across the globe when she turned down her fiancé at the altar—a man who, unbeknownst to Deepti, repeatedly belittled her and criticized her appearance on-screen.

Millions watched as Deepti uttered the now-famous words that became a rallying cry for women everywhere: “I’m choosing myself.” In this exclusive, tell-all book, Deepti pulls back the curtain on the world of Love Is Blind, sharing never-before-heard details on: her relationships inside and outside of the pods and what really happened after After the Altar.

Deepti also shares her personal story. Born in India and immigrating to the USA when she was a child, Deepti struggled with her bicultural identity. From feeling caged by societal standards, to entering the dating world, to gaining (and losing) 70 lbs, to becoming an overnight celebrity, Deepti takes listeners on her journey of self-discovery and proves that the most important relationship you can have is with yourself.

My Book thoughts

This book was relatable, inspiring, and heart warming. I loved Deepti after watching Love is Blind. But this book really showed how beautiful of a person she is.

Thanks for joining Me this November for this book challenge! Lisa